It’s been more than 10 years since Burberry has shown a men’s collection on English soil, but this month Christopher Bailey is finally bringing the mega-British brand’s boys home in what’s sure to be a highlight of this season’s London Collections: Men lineup. Showing alongside other big labels like Alexander McQueen, Tom Ford, Paul Smith and Rag & Bone, we asked Burberry’s chief creative officer if the home court showing was truly an advantage or just added pressure. Ever the English gentleman, Bailey was more than happy to share why he felt the time was right to make the move from Milan, and as an added bonus the designer schooled us on British style and revealed some of his geekier pastimes.

GQ: What made you feel like this was the right time to bring the men’s show back to London?

Christopher Bailey: London is definitely home. We brought the women’s show back a few years ago. When I designed [Burberry’s global headquarters] I was like, ’OK we’re grown up. We’ve got a proper grown up home. Let’s bring the show back.’

GQ: As a Brit, do you feel that there’s more or less pressure to show in London?

Bailey: I’m not sure I really think of things like that. I’m not someone that gets really stressed or pressured. I feel like it’s really important that I enjoy it. That I enjoy what I’m doing. And of course there’s always pressure, but I try not to focus on that. I feel like if I’m enjoying it and if im doing it with everything I can and if I’m doing it with authenticity then hopefully it will be right. But I’m probably being very naiive by not getting stressed!

GQ: So what can guys expect from the Burberry Men’s Spring 2014 collection?

Bailey: I love that feeling of a lazy summer. And I love that feeling of lazy clothes, clothes that feel like they’ve lived in with you. I like the idea that summer will be relad. [The collection will be] very English, but there will be nothing uptight about it.

GQ: Talk us through with "very English" means. How would you desribe British Style?

Bailey: I think British style is this clash of rules and regulations, of being quite uptight and quite elegant and quite correct with something that is actually broken down and effortless. [It’s] a little bit opinionated but having fun and bringing the energy. I think I quite like it when you get those two worlds together. It’s neither one thing nor the other. It’s like somebody who is incredibly well dressed but then all of a sudden you’re like, ’My god their shoes are so scruffy!’ And I like that.

Bailey: We embraced it. We were excited by it. It gave [us] a whole new creative way of expressing ourselves. From the very beginning I talked about humanizing technology. I was kind of a nightmare in meetings, like "No, no guys, people don’t care about the technology behind it. They care about how it makes them feel.’

GQ: So you’re big on diving deep into the user experience?

Bailey: My analogy is always this: I love buildings. I love architecture. It’s a huge part of my job. I spend half my time in a hard hat and big boots at building sites, and I love it. It’s kind of a passion. But I’m interested in the plumbing and the sewage and I’m interested in the foundations and the structure. Most people are not. They care about the facade. They care about the materials. They care about the finishes. They care about the feeling when you walk into a building. And I think that’s the same with technology. People don’t care about all the wires and the technology and the little sensors. Some people do, but the majority don’t.

GQ: I guess that makes you the plumber of Burberry?

Bailey: [laughs.] I’ve always loved gadgets. I’ve always loved playing with things. It’s quite funny because at home an ideal day for me is if our router’s gone down and I need to figure it all out. I get excited about that.

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